


Kings and Queens and Magician things

by punk_assnerd



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, M/M, Raven cycle Alternate universe, i didn't edit this sorry, i hope yall like it, personally i dont ship them but do what you like, possible noah/blue if youre into relationships with a huge age gap, pynch - Freeform, this is my first fanfic ever so, trc au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-14 06:40:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11777565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_assnerd/pseuds/punk_assnerd
Summary: AU of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater where instead of Noah dying and Gansey living, the roles are reversed.





	1. Depending on where you began the story, it's all about Noah Czerny

**Author's Note:**

> I've already got 4/5 chapters done but i'll post them in intervals =]

The moment he figured out what Whelk was doing, it had already been too late. He could feel his blood roll down cheek like his face was a broken faucet.

Why?

Noah asked himself.

As he feels light headed from all the pounding he received from the shovel, he heard something... or someone

you will live because of Glendower   
someone else in the ley line is dying when they should  
so you will live for it is just and right

He jolted up and saw that it was raining. He could slowly feel his fingers and toes warming up, whether they've been frozen from the cold rain or the fact that he just died, Noah wasn't sure.   
The blood from his face was already being washed away as he looked around spotting the shovel Whelk used on him and Whelk's retreating form staring at him, disbelief written all over it.  
Of course Whelk had not expected this, he tried his best to apologize, or rather make up an excuse for himself, but Noah was seeing red.

He did not remember it, hitting Whelk with the shovel, but there he was, standing over Whelk's unconscious but still breathing body. Shovel in his hands and blood in his shoes.

What now?

Phone. He needed his phone.

He scrambled back towards his car and fumbled for his phone on the dashboard, not caring about how wet the interior of his car was gonna be.

"Hello? my name is Noah Czerny, i've just been attacked. He- uh, my friend, he tried to kill me with a shovel, I defended myself and hit him on the head. Yes. Uhm.. We're at some forest at the edge of town, please help me."

\-------------

The next months passed by in a blur of hurried car rides, flashes from cameras, and blank stares from everyone in a court room. Whelk had been put in jail since he'd be of legal age in a few months.

"I pretended. Played dead, if you will. And when I got him to think I was already dead, he dropped the shovel and walked away. Already leaving me for dead. That's when I grabbed the shovel and hit him in the head. Then I went back to my car, grabbed my phone, and called the authorities."  
Noah couldn't help the pang of hurt in his voice. He couldn't help but pour out the betrayal he felt with ever pounding he received from the one he thought was his best friend.

A few more court sessions, and councilling, and therapy sessions we're added to his schedule for the next few weeks but Noah couldn't be bothered. His mind was preoccupied by both Whelk's reason for trying to kill him, or rather his reason for successfully killing him, and by the words he heard as he was about to die.

Ley lines. Some one else is dying.   
Glendower.

"Noah?"

It was Noah's mom.

"Did you hear what i just said, hun?" His mom said next to him. They were inside their car already, on their way home from another and probably not their last day on court. "They want to know which of the stuff from Whelk's car is yours"

"Oh. Uhm... I'll go look." He halfheartedly made his way to the car with the assistance of one of the police officers waiting outside their own.

He saw his Aglionby sweater in the passenger's seat, right where it always was. he grabbed his bag and rummaged through the back seat when he saw one of Whelks journals he almost felt nauseous. As he was about to close it he caught a glimpse of a word. Ley lines.

"Is that all sir?" the officer asked from outside of the passenger seat's door.

"Yeah." Noah said as he grabbed hold of his bag along with Whelk's pile of journals.

He made his way back to their car and piled his stuff in the trunk.

"Are you ok hun?" His mom said as he sat back down inside their car.

"I will be." Noah said, thinking of how he's gonna finally find our what the hell is going on.

\-------------

Noah Czerny used the summer before his senior year going through all of Whelk's journals and supposed plans.

He was gonna use my life to wake the ley line. A sacrifice to have power over the line.

"Noah! We're leaving! Don't stay out too late and no more unsupervised expeditions!" his mom yell from outside.

He ran to his window and yelled back a response "I can't promise anything! Have a safe trip!"

The moment he heard tires on gravel from a distance, he packed his stuff and ran downstairs to their garage, only to be blocked by his youngest sister.

"Hiya there Adele! Such a lovely day today, don't you think? Perfect for driving around or maybe skating? Or even just doing absolutely nothing." NOAH said with as much enthusiasm as he can

"Mom gave me your keys." His sister said bluntly, clearly unfazed by Noah's facade.

"Dammit. Ok. What do you want, my desert for the rest of the summer? We both know you don't have chores so thats out of the questio-"

"I want in." she said with a gleeful smile.

Noah's expression suddenly straightened and firmed. "No."

"Oh, come on!" "No. I'm not risking you getting into trouble." Noah kneeled in front of his sister and placed his hand on top of her fair hair, "I'll bring you back something, ok?"

He then got up and headed towards his car. His mind racing with questions as he made his way to 300 Fox Way for a little chat about ley lines. Or as they call it, the Corpse Road.

\-------------

"Are you sure?" Noah asked, trying his best to look like he's enjoying his spirit lifter tea. He's really not enjoying his tea.

"We make it a pint to visit the corpse road, or rather the ley line, once a year. Every St. Marks Eve to be precise, and we see the spirits- no, shadows of spirits of those who will die in the following year." Maura Sargent said from the other end of the couch. He saw two more ladies earlier who retreated upstairs as he arrived.

"Would it be too much for me to ask you for the list? Even just a glimpse of it would be very well appreci-" "Who are you?" Noah was interrupted by a question from a little girl on the staircase.

"Ah, Blue. This is Noah." Maura said, putting her cup down the kitchen table as she made her way to the little girl.

"Is he here for a reading? Can i help?" the little girl, Blue, looked enthusiastic even with just the concept of her possibly helping.

"I'm afraid he's not here for that. He's here for the list of going-to-be-dead people."

"Oh. I can get it for you!" she then ran back upstairs. Noah, only realizing now, stared at her odd looking dress-skirt-thing.

"Is she yours?" Noah asked as politely as he can.

"Oh, yes. Don't mind her clothes. She made it herself." Maura mused.

"That's a rather unusual activity for someone her age" Noah added, amused.

"I wouldn't know what 11 year-olds nowadays do, to be honest. Much less non-unusual 11 year-old girls." Maura said, staring at nothing upstairs.

"I'm sure non-unusual girls would want to be her when the right time comes." Noah offered.

Blue then came running down the stairs with a piece of paper in her tiny hands. She went and gave it to Maura but Maura motioned her to Noah. Blue then handed Noah the paper with a determined face.

"Thank you, Blue." He smiled at her and petted her hair.

"I like your hair. It looks like bleached corn silk. Or a field of wheat under the sun." Blue said, staring at Noah's head.

Noah let out a small chuckle as he stood up and thanked Maura for the list. He looked back at Blue and smiled

"I like your hair too. It reminds me of my favorite bird."

"What bird?" Blue asked.

"A raven"

\------

Richard Campbell Gansey III

The short but wondrous ten years of incomparable joy you've brought to us would never be forgotten.

An extraordinary son, irreplaceable brother, and amazing friend.

 

"Shit." Noah breathed out.

Noah did the only sensible thing he could think of. He compared Maura's list of going-to-be-dead people to the record of death of people who died in every ley line he had known. Not murdered. It wasn't easy getting the records of deceased people, but Noah wouldn't be Noah if not for his resourcefulness and his stubbornness. He knew that the one who died for him did die according to their time. But he still couldn't handle it.

He grabbed his bag and bolted downstairs.

"Mom! I'm going for a drive!"

"To where, exactly, is this drive gonna take you?" his mom said, covered in what seems like flour, emerging from the kitchen where he can hear both her sisters laughing and pans clanking with each other.

His mom wasn't always like this. Domestic. Thoughtful. Wary of their whereabouts.   
She used to be such a proud woman. Always guarded and stiff even inside their home.

Noah knew that he caused this, somehow. That maybe almost losing their one and only son changed something inside his mom. 

"Nowhere. It's a drive mom. It calms me down." Noah said, knowing exactly what could make his mom break. He was not proud with how he manipulated his mom like this but he had no choice. No. He does have a choice. This or the truth. And everything is better than the truth.

"Ok, hun. But don't stay out late ok? Be back by midnight."

"It's a friday night mom." Noah groaned, grabbing his keys.

"Yeah. And tomorrow is a Saturday which meant movie day. And i can't have you sleeping through it all. Now I need to go back in there before your sisters burn the kitchen down."

And Noah headed out.

\-------

This is it.

Noah stepped off of his car and stared up at the mansion in front of him.

This is where Richard Campbell Gansey III died.

Noah grabbed his bag from the passenger's seat and pulled out his flashlight.

"Ok. It's now or never."

Noah spent an hour and a pair of triple A batteries looking through every room inside the mansion. None of the rooms had what he was looking for. None if them had any signs of death in them. What exactly is a sign of death?

Insects.

Noah remembered something about insects. Richard Gansey III died from some sort of insect. Outside. It took him a moment to realize that his hour long wondering inside was meaningless.

Outside, the moon was shining with its full might that he could see the entire garden even without his flashlight. But as he stepped out in the garden, motion sensor lights illuminated the garden in a ghastly sort of way.

Shadows at the corner of Noah's eyes seems to move. He hears rustling of leaves even when the trees stay as immobile as they should in a night so peaceful. He wandered around the enormous garden looking for something he himself wasn't even sure of.

Insects, he thought, something about insects Noah.

Then at the very edge of the garden, he saw a dark stump that may have been a beautiful tree once. As he edged closer, he couldn't help but be creeped out.

"It's ok. You're ok Noah. You're just imagining shit up. Stop freaking yourself out." Noah said to no one in particular. Maybe to himself. 

And he kept mumbling this to himself, like a self made mantra to calm down. But not even this could help Noah from jumping when he heard something from behind him. Like someone giggling.

"Sorry. But hearing you say that over and over again is just so funny." A pudgy, brown haired, little boy said a few feet behind him. Dressed in what seems like a button down shirt and khaki pants.

"Wha- What are you doing here?" Noah asked, obviously still freaked by the little boy's sudden appearance.

The boy just shrugged   
"What are you doing here?" the little boy asked back.

"I asked you first." Noah said.

"And I asked you second." the little boy smiled smugly. Noah was more annoyed than he was freaked out by now.

Defeated, Noah sighed and answered "I'm looking for someon- something."

"What? Maybe I can be of service?" the little boy offered.

"Oh." Noah was a bit shocked by the offer. "Uhm, i don't know really. Uhhh- Insects?" Noah said, or asked, or said it in a questioning way. He saw the little boy visibly flinch.

"I don't like insects" the little boy said in a small voice.

"Oh, it's no big deal. Hey, why don't i take you home for now? I can always just comeback some other day."

"Oh, no, it's ok- uhh..." Noah realized that he hasn't introduced himself yet.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Noah Czerny. Nice to meet you." he reached for the little boy's hands but instead of grabbing his hand, his hand passed right through the little boys hand.

Shocked, Noah stared stonefaced at the little boy in front of him. Of course, Noah thought.

Now that he had focused more on the boy, he saw that he wasn't pudgy. He was swelling. His whole body sort of inflates by what Noah could only think of as insects.

The little boy smiled sadly at Noah and said "My name is Richard Campbell Gansey III. Nice to meet you Noah"


	2. Depending on where you began the story, it's all about Adam Parrish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years later and Aglionby still houses a few peculiars in it's facilities

"Late again Mr. Parrish."   
The 54 year old history professor, Jacques A. Daniels, said from behind his desk.

It was more of a statement now, rather than a question. Adam guessed it was probably because it was the seventh, no, eighth time he's been late. Adam's secondhand, secondhand bike was to blame. But Adam didn't have to think twice about sharing that bit of information to the class. Unless he wants the whole class' opinions on that topic.

"I apologize Mr. Daniels."

"It's quite alright. But might I remind you, Mr. Parrish, a minute that you miss-"

" "is another lessons' goodbye kiss." Duly noted, sir."

"Alright, take your seat Mr. Parrish"

As Adam took his seat, the one right in middle and in the front most part of the room, he chose not to notice the snide comments and heavy stares his classmates threw at his direction.

"As I was saying, I am not getting any younger. And you lot, as far as I can see, are not getting any less restless. So by tomorrow, you'll be under a new professor. Im quite confident on him seeing as he was once a student of mine. But I'm afraid my mind has gone a bit rusty for I've forgotten the name. But proper introductions shall be part of his first day. I trust you all to be at your best behavior, boys."

A chorus of 'yes sir's echoed through the room.

"And since it is my last day here, why don't you boys go about for the rest of the period."

For the rest of the class, this means a lot of things, some would probably sleep, a few would sit quietly and go through their phones, most of others probably would talk about something expensive they just got or something expensive they've just lost. And none of those were Adam Parrish.

Adam had to catch up on their Latin since he had to work an extra hour yesterday in order to compensate for the hour he missed due to his bike crashing down again.

Just a few more months now, then one last year.

Adam wasn't hopeful, he was just planning ahead. Hopeful would suggest that what he attains for is very unlikely. But he knows he'll get out of here. The only matter was how he was going to leave.

But Adam hadn't even had the chance to daydream about it yet when he felt a thud from behind his head.

Ignore them. Just ignore anyone and everyone.

Now it was a kick to his chair  
"Hey, Parrish. Got a minute?"

Adam hadn't notice him seated behind him when he took a seat. But Adam knew for sure who it was.

"I don't, actually. Why don't you bother one of your friends, Joseph." Adam could've said that with a whole lot more expressive words, but chose not to due to the professor near his desk.

"Come on, man. Just a minute. That book's not gonna run off."

"It's a good thing I'm not a book, then."

"Ouch. Lighten up Parrish. I just wanted to invite you to the 4th of July thing I'm throwing."

"And I want to be left alone. Let's see which if us gets to have what they want."

Adam raised his hand to Mr. Daniels and did his best to conjure up a polite smile. "Sir. Would it be ok if I spend the rest of the period at the library?"

"By all means, Mr. Parrish. By all means. I must say, I'm quite comfortable leaving at least one competent student behind."

"I'll take that as a compliment, sir." Adam said as he packed his book.

He stood up and not so subtly glanced at Joseph Kavinski's smug face.

"You win this round, Parrish." He said as Adam walked away and made a beeline for the library doors. Not missing Kavinski's joke about liking a different kind of Jack Daniels

\-----

"Shouldn't you be at first period right now?" The library's student aide, Charles, said from across Adam's table.

"Oh, uh. Mr. Daniels gave us a free period since it's his last day here."

"Oh! Oh, ok. Sorry to bother. Just wasn't used to you breaking schedule." Charles said.

"My schedule?"   
"Oh, well you're here for at least two hours after last bell and sometimes even lunch."  
An awkward silence fell an both seems to have noticed.   
"That sounded a lot less creepier in my head." Charles said as he tried his best to cover some tension with an awkward laugh.

"Nah, it's alright. I mean, that's your schedule too, right?" Adam asked. Completely oblivious of how tense Charles were.

"Kinda... Yeah..." Charlse said.

Another minute passed and Adam just went on reading his textbook, completely missing how Charles was staring at him in the most lovestruck way.

"You know, if you stare any longer he'd have a hole right between his eyes." a voice said, startling both boys.

Adam knew that he knew that voice, he could probably put a face on it but the name escapes his mind.

"Hey, Adam Parrish." Adam put his book down once again and turned around. He was now looking directly at a boy that oozes bad choices and an even worst attitude. Adam wasn't sure if his assumptions were due to the shaved head, the tattoo snaking out from the nape of his neck, or the fact that he was wearing what looked like anything but the proper Aglionby Uniform. A worn out leather jacket on top of a plain white shirt, black jeans that are probably two sizes too small and shoes that Adam could only describe as a pair of "fashionable combat boots".

"Do I know you?" Adam asked, not caring if it seemed a bit rude.

"Probably best if you didn't, to be honest. I can't be trusted. I'm actually here because Kavinsky wanted you to-"

"I have no intentions of participating in anything that involves Kavinsky." Adam interjected. He started packing his things again, seeing as even the library wasn't safe.

"And i don't give two two shits in whatever it is that you actually participate in. But if I have to hear Kavinsky complain about you again I'm gonna fucking murder someone." The way he said it could've rendered anyone speechless. Anyone who cared, that is.

"Seems like that's your problem, not mine." Adam retorted.

"Oh, you do not wanna wait 'til i make it your problem. Trust me." and somehow, Adam did. Adam knew better than to cross anyone who can smile like they know your biggest fears and weren't of using them against you.

"You literally just said you can't be trusted." Adam said, feigning confidence.

"Well, it looks like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place." And he was right. Adam knew better than to socialize with anyone like Kavinsky. But he also wasn't dumb enough to think that this guy's threat was a bluff.

"Fine."

"Wait, what?" "Excuse me, what?" both Charles and the guy said at the same time.

"Well, fuck. I didn't know I'd actually convince you."

"Then what was the point of even bothering if you thought you wouldn't convince me?" Adam asked, completely annoyed.

"I don't know." The guy said then turned around and walked off.

"What just happened?" Charles asked as they heard the library doors closed.

"I think I just sold my soul to the devil."  
Adam said as he pushed his chair back and walked off.

\---

On the way home, Adam's bike did nothing but break down every five minutes. After half an hour of constant pedaling and fixing his bike, Adam finally gave up and decided to just walk home.

A year ago, home meant paranoia for Adam. It was fear of doing and saying the right things in front if him. It was deciding if the punishment for locking himself in his room was any better than the treatment he'll receive for showing his face to him.   
Adam had to live with that for years now. Until this year.

Adam never had friends who could take care of him, not that he'd depend on them if he did have some. His family was far from being supportive and loving. Adam knew that no one would care for him and love him. So he decided to take care of himself.

Adam decided that a near death experience was the last straw. He packed his bags, or rather bag, and left home. He didn't want to kid himself and call that home. Not anymore.   
Leaving would've been far more difficult if Adam hadn't been planning this for half if his life now. It would've been difficult if he didn't know that there was a vacant room right above a local church. It would've been difficult if it hadn't been the only thing he'd wanted to do for a long time now.

As he nears St Agnes' church, he couldn't help but notice a really nice car parked right in front of it.

Probably another privileged brat praying for a new set of clothes.

Adam couldn't help but scold himself for thinking such a thing. But not a minute later the guy from the library came out from the church doors.

Great. Just great.

"Hey. Parrish." He seems just as shocked to see Adam as Adam was to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, I live here. N-Not at the church! Upstairs..." Adam cursed himself for sounding even more pathetic.

"Oh." The guy said, still staring at Adam.

"Good thing you came when you did then, huh. I thought I'd have to stalk you to know your address."

"Uh, what..?"

"I'm taking you to the 4th of July thing, remember?"  
With that, the guy then headed straight for his car and got in.   
Adam stepped aside as he backed up until the drivers window was right in front of Adam.   
"I'll pick you up at around 8, so you can at least enjoy some of it. See you then."

Adam hadn't even been given time to think of a reply when the guy sped off into the night.

\-----

"Have you seen the new history prof? They said he used to go here. And that he was the one who thought of Raven Day!"

Adam couldn't help but overhear his classmates do what they do best. Gossip about absolutely nothing.

"Shh! He's coming! He's coming!" Someone said from the door.

Everyone scampered around to get to their seats save Adam who was right in front of the teacher's desk.

When the door opened, Adam was sure he was prepared for everything. An old bat who shushed the whole class every minute. An old lady who might smell like cat food. He even prepared himself for an old tobacco smelling prof. But he wasn't prepared for this.

A man, who Adam thought couldn't be in his late twenties, walked in. Fair haired and slim. He walked in with such confidence that Adam knew only an Aglionby alumni could pull off. Adam didn't have to turn around to know that the class was staring at him just as Adam was.

"Uh, hey guys! I'm gonna be teaching you History from now on. Mr. Daniels had been here for a long time now that even I have been his student. Oh, and by the way, my name's Noah Czerny. You can all just call me Mr. Czerny from now on. Any questions?"

His question was answered by silence and staring. Adam couldn't blame him for looking as nervous as he did. So Adam tried his best to make him feel at ease and raised his hand.

"Uh, yes! Let me guess, Mr. Parrish?"

Adam was a bit taken back from him knowing his name. But it was all drowned down by the snickering his classmates did from around the room.

"Uhm yeah. I just wanted to ask if you were informed on where our lesson should resume." Adam asked half heartedly.

"Oh! But of course. Mr. Daniels would have my head if I slacked off." He answered. "It's good to see at least one student who actually cares about his studies."  
With that, the snickering died down.

"Ok then," their new professor said as he clapped his hands togethern, "why don't we begin. Or rather, resume. So pull out your textbooks and turn to page-"

The door slammed open and in came the guy from the library.

Adam swore he knew that he wasn't in this class.

"Uhm, can I help you, Mr..."

"Lynch."   
Lynch?! Adam thought.

"Ah, Mr. Lynch. Yes. I've just been informed about your transferring here. I'm afraid I'm still not acquainted with the class myself so why don't you take whichever seat you want."

Lynch then looked around and made eye intact with Adam before Adam could look away. Wen Adam did look away, he didn't need to look back to know that he was heading his way. That and the fact that he was smiling smugly.

Suddenly, Adam wished that he had seat-mates. Or preferably a taser. Whichever was available on a short notice.

"Hey man-"

"Don't. Just don't. I don't know you. You don't know me. We don't disturb each other." Which was sort of the truth. Adam didn't even know his first name for crying out loud. Not that he wants to know.

"Well damn, Parrish. Don't need to be so uptight all the fucking time."

Adam then decided to stare blankly ahead throughout the whole period. Avoiding the stare of his new seat-mate and oblivious to the concerned glances that their new Professor throws every now and then.

Noah knew that look. The look of envy... No, the look of hating how they couldn't help but envy. Hating both everyone and the fact that they want nothing but to be like everyone else.

Noah has seen that look for years but thought nothing of it. He thought nothing of it even though he's seen it in his bestfriend's face for almost a year. He thought nothing of it until it was too late.

I won't let that happen.

\--------

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."  
"Please do try to control your language Mr. Lynch."   
Adam couldn't do anything but stare in complete and utter disbelief at his professors face while Ronan did his best to get as close as he can to Mr. Czerny's face.   
"Look. Parrish practically hates me. I know I've only been here for a month but anyone could see that he couldn't even stand to be seated next to me much less do a fuc- do a report with me for the next month!"  
Mr. Czerny couldn't help but smile at Ronan's efforts and Adam's complete and total shock.

"Look. You're both the best and the worst in my class right now. It's practical."

"Yeah. But Adam would do better alone than with me dragging him down." Ronan said, trying his best to avoid Adam's stare. "Look why don't you just pair Kavinsky and-"

"Oh! Kavinsky and Parrish! Well that could be arranged, I guess."

RONAN didn't have to look back to see Adams face contorted with disgust with just Kavinky's name.

"You know what fine. I hope you're ready when one of us is murdered by the other."

"I'm sorry guys but the decision's been made. It's final."

Ronan not so subtly stomped back to his seat and slumped down.

"Now that that's over. You all can pack your things now and head out. If you have questions don't be shy. I'll try my best to help you out." Me. Czerny said and ended it with a bright and cheery smile that had Ronan fuming and had Adam slightly swooning.

"Look." Ronan said as softly as he can. "I know I'm not the hottest shit to you right now. Or ever. But I don't want you to fail just because I'm a useless dick. And I know I'm a useless dick but Kavinsky is an even bigger useless dick. So I suggest a truce for a month, just until we finish this, then you can go back to hating my guts forever. You cool with that, Parrish?"

To say that Adam was a bit taken back from Ronan's genuine effort for schoolwork was an understatement. Adam appreciated it. Really.

"Ok."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

Noah would never admit it but their grades were never the basis for pairing up the class.

"What's our topic again?" Adam asked as they walked down the halls of Aglionby. Ronan looked at the note in his hand. "Keylimes?"

"Uhm. No." Ronan looked closer and read it out loud   
"Ley lines. And the note says that this is Mr. Czerny's favorite topic amongst all of them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys  
> i hope y'all are liking the direction of the story so far
> 
> and i know that TRC is known for its magic and mayhem so stick around for that in the next few chapters <3  
> -D


	3. Depending on where you began the story, it's all about Blue Sargent

"Mom! I'm off to work!" Blue yelled from their living room. Not knowing that her mom was just in the kitchen making some tea.

"Alright. Is it dog duty or Nino's tonight?" Her mother, Maura Sargent, asked as she set her tea down on the kitchen counter and went towards Blue to give her a hug.

"Nino's. My schedule's at the fridge door." Both ladies then saw the mess of notes and recipes and phone numbers on the fridge. "Well, it's somewhere there." Blue added.

"Alright honey. Just be safe."

"Alright mom" with that, Blue Sargent headed off to work, not noticing a certain fair haired man walking towards their house.

\-----

"Blue. I need your help." Janet, the only tolerable coworker in Blue's book, asked from over the counter. Blue put down the salt shaker she was currently refilling and moved her attention towards her.

"What is it now? Is it... them?"  
Janet then smiled and tilted her head to the side. Her blonde hair falling off her shoulder.   
"Damn it. I swear to god I'll rip all of their heads off if they keep-" "No. Not all of them." Janet interjected.   
"What?"  
"It's just, there's just two of them today. You know the really scary quiet one?"  
"Baldy."  
"Yeah. Him and a new one. This one doesn't seem like trouble actually. I mean, he thanked me when I gave him a menu so that's a good start, right?"  
"I guess." Blue then dusted off her apron and took the notepad from the front pocket and her pencil from her right ear.   
"What table are they in?"  
"Table eight. They said they wanted a bit of privacy."  
"Well that can't be good. Who wants privacy in a pizza place?"  
"Yeah. That's kinda why I asked you for help." Janet then smiled again and went around the counter to continue Blue's work. "Thanks again Blue."  
"It's no problem."

Blue haven't even taken three steps away from the counter when he heard bickering from their direction.

"Look. I'm trying my best not to say that you're wrong, but you couldn't be more wrong."  
"I don't need your snarky comments, Lynch. I need actual inputs about the subject!"  
"Why should I bother when you turn down everything I've said. And not just today, actually. Everything I've said since we started."  
"I wouldn't turn them down if they were actually relevant you little-"

"Excuse me." Blue interrupted them.   
"If you could please keep it down, you're kinda disturbing the whole place."  
Both boys seemed embarrassed by being caught. Baldy was more pissed off than embarrassed from what Blue can see. But the other one, Blue wanted nothing but to run away.   
If there's anything able hated more than punk ass jerks from Aglionby, it was preppy nerds from Aglionby. And these two were right in front of her, probably waiting for her to ask them what they're gonna order.

"So," Blue did her best not to show her discomfort,"are you two ready to order?"

"Oh. Right. Actually I'm not.. I'll just have a glass of water if that's ok, please." Nerdy said. Looking a bit flustered.   
"On a diet, Parrish?" Baldy said through his smug smirk.   
"No. It's just easier not to puke whenever I see you when I actually don't have anything in me."  
Blue was a bit taken back by the come back that she couldn't help but laugh a bit. Loudly, actually.   
Baldy, looking even more pissed off now than before, glared at Blue and scoffed.   
"I'll have a cheeseburger with fries and two slices of cheese pizza. And two sodas. Any would be fine."

Blue wrote it down and repeated it to them to make sure it was right.

"Alright. The burger and fries will take a few minutes. Would you like the pizza and drinks be served now?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice. Thanks" Baldy said while looking through some papers on the table. 

"Alright." Blue then headed back to the counter and yelled in their order.

"Uhm, Blue." Janet said from behind blue. "There was someone here looking for you. Said his name was Noah? Noah somethin'"  
It took blue a moment to register if he'd known any Noah in school. Or even in their area. But when she turned around, she remembered why she couldn't figure it out. This Noah isn't from where she's from.

Noah Czerny, who is 24 by now, if Blue did the math right, was beaming from behind the counter. Wearing a black sweater with some band logo printed in front. Blue thought he looked just like how he looked like before. Fair, silky hair, a bit lanky, and really cheery.

"Hey there Sky." Noah said. A hint of tease in his voice.

"That's not my name!" Blue said in her best annoyed tone. But she ran towards him and tackled him in a hug over the counter.

"You jerk! Since when were you back? Why didn't you call ahead! You idiot!"

"Why don't I feel welcomed by all this. You should really practice your people skills Sky."

"Stop with the 'Sky' thing. It's starting to be more annoying than 'Cerulean'. And that was really annoying."

Noah then laughed out loud, just like the way he used to. Head thrown back and a hand over his stomach. Just like the way that made Blue crush on him.

"Well. I happen to like it. And so does Richie."

The name caught Blue's attention.

"Richie?! Is he here? Where is he?"

"Down here."

Noah pointed to his right hand and as Blue stepped around the counter she saw a little pudgy kid holding Noah's hand.

Blue then bent down to his eye level and smiled.

"Sup dude."  
"I'm alright. Noah insists on showing me around town as if I wasn't from here." He then giggled as Noah made a face.

"Just humor him 'till I can steal you away from him." Blue said and winked at him.

Blue's order then rang up so she stood up and looked up to Noah.

"Are you guys staying long? You can crash at our place y'know."

"Oh it's alright. I'm staying at my old place. I'm actually staying. Like, staying for a long time."

"No way." Blue couldn't believe it. This is Noah Czerny. Traveling for years ever since he graduated high school. Went to college then travelled again afterwards.

Henrietta's home. But when you hit a home run you have to go around the whole court then back to home base.

Blue couldn't care less about sports analogies but it broke her heart then.   
Yes her crush back then seemed unreasonable. But she was losing her best friend.

"Blue. You look like you're about to start crying." Richie said as he let go of Noah's hand and took both of Blue's.

"I might." Blue said.   
Noah then laughed softly and hugged Blue. "I thought you wanted me to stay! Would you stop crying if I left again?"

The three of them laughed again.   
"Ok. Are you guys gonna stay for a while? I can get you anything?"

"Oh! Pizza! Pizza!" Richie said loudly, earning them everyone's attention.

"Ok ok. Just go find a table and I'll have my friend take your orders." Blue patted Richie's head.   
"And you." He pointed at Noah. "I'm not done with you yet. You are gonna make it up to me."

Noah held up both hands in fake surrender and went on to a table, holding Richie's hand again.

As Blue made her way to get her order she didn't see the way Ronan and Adam were looking, or rather staring, at their History professor.

"You're seeing this, right?" Adam asked Ronan.   
"You mean our professor, with a kid, hugging a waitress who's a minor..?" Ronan blatantly said.

Both were too caught up in what they saw that Blue setting down their tray of food.   
"So that's two slices of pizza, cheeseburger and fries, two sodas and a pitcher of water, just in case. If you guys want anything more just call me up." Blue said. Not caring about coming off too cheery. She blames Noah.

"Uhm. Wait." Ronan called her out before she got too far away.   
"Can I ask something? About that guy.."

Blue looked over to where he was pointing and she saw Noah using his fries as fangs.

"Oh yeah. I guess you would know him.   
He's Noah Czerny. I've known him since I was ten. He used to ask my mom about Ley lines and energy reasons all the ti-"

"Ley Lines? Wait. Why would he go to your mom for Ley lines?" Blue ignored the fact that she was rudely interrupted and just answered them what she can.

"My mom's a psychic. Our whole family is, actually. Except for me. And every year during St. Mark's Eve we go to one of the Ley lines here to see the shadows or ghosts of everyone who'll die the following year."

Silence fell as Blue finished her sentence.   
She was preparing herself for the ridicule she was about to receive, but what they said next was something she did not expect.

"Would it be alright if we come to your house?" Adam blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Blue wasn't sure if she was offended or not but she sure wasn't happy anymore.

"What Einstein here meant was, could we schedule an appointment. Our history professor, Mr. Czerny over there, wants us to give a report about the history of Ley lines in Henrietta."

"Professor.. Wait. He had you do a report on Ley lines?"

Both guys nodded their heads.   
"Ok, uhm." Blue took out her notepad and wrote down her address and their phone number, "Here. Uhm. That's the address and the phone number. Just come whenever, I guess."

After that Blue left, both of the boys' eyes trailed her until she stopped by Noah's table and hit him in the head with the menu.

Adam tried his best to keep his laughter low but Ronan almost looked like he was trying to get everyone's attention.

"Ok. I like her." Adam said, absentmindedly.   
"Well, damn." Ronan said as he took a bite of his pizza.   
"What?"   
"You met her literally not an hour ago and you like her already. And we've known each other for like, a month! Do I have to hit a teacher for you to like me, Parrish?"

Adam didn't want to show that he did kind of, sort of, might like Ronan. But he couldn't help but smile at Ronan's attempt of friendly conversation.

"I think I've heard a rumor about you actually hitting a teacher before."  
Adam insinuated.   
"As much as I would like to take credit for that, that is not true!"  
Ronan moved the plates of pizzas toward him and Adam.   
Adam was about to argue. He didn't need his money. He didn't need food from him. He didn't need charity.

But this isn't charity.

Charity was the look of the old woman whenever she sees Adam with his family, knowing what she hears at night.   
Charity was the way his childhood friend would tear up whenever she helps Adam cover his bruises with make up.   
Charity was the added sheets laid out in his bed by the tenant, knowing that he couldn't pay for this months heating.

But he didn't see that now. He hadn't seen it for a while now.

He didn't see it when Ronan first asked Adam to ride with him in his car.   
He didn't see it when Ronan paid for the books and articles they were gonna use for the report.   
And he can't see it now.

"What are you staring at Parrish? Eat your damn food or I'll stuff it down your throat." Ronan said while open-mouthedly chewing his pizza.

"Fine. But we're going right back to work after we eat."

"Yeah. Whatever." Ronan said. Trying his eat to fight the smile creeping into his face

On the other side of the diner, Noah was still having an earful from Blue.

"I didn't mean anything from it! I swear! I thought they'd have fun with the topic. Honestly Sky, it's a report. Nothing dangerous."

"Whatever. But if one of those boys ends up in trouble, that's gonna be your fault. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." Noah saluted.

"Blue. I really like how you've done your hair." Richie said. Clearly trying to help Noah by changing the topic.

"Richard Campbell Gansey III , are you trying to flirt with me?" Blue cheekily said.

"Nooo.. I was just complimenting you! It honestly suits you. Wild and beautiful."

"You know. For someone who's been dead for years now, you're pretty smooth."

"Thanks." Richie said.

Blue then spent the rest of her break catching up with Noah and Richie. When her break was over she went back to Baldy and Nerdy and saw that the two were in deep conversation.

"Hey. You two really wanna know about Ley Lines?"

"Yeah." Baldy said as Adam nodded.

"Look. Come by at around 6 tomorrow evening. I'll help you guys. If you want my help, that is."

"Yeah! Sure. I mean, thanks. Really. We appreciate it." Nerdy said. "My name's Adam Parrish, by the way."

Adam then nudged Baldy and baldy grunted. "Ronan Lynch." Said baldy.

"Blue, Blue Sargent." Blue then said goodbye to both guys and went inside the kitchen to fill in a couple more orders then clock out. Noah was waiting by his car, leaning by the drivers seat. Richie had his nose pressed against the backseat window as he called out for Blue.   
As Blue got in the passengers seat, she and Noah fell right back into their previous conversation as Richie adds his comment from time to time. 

An hour after Blue left the diner, Ronan and Adam have finally done the first half of their report and decided to call it a day.

"Alright. So I'll pick you up at around 5:30 tomorrow?" Ronan said as they walked out of the diner.

"Yeah. That'd be cool." Adam said. Clamping his hand inside his pockets.

"Right. Do you need a ride back? I didn't see your bike earlier." Ronan asked.

Which is true. Adam's secondhand, secondhand bike have finally given up. And by given up, Adam means it's far beyond any repair shops capability of repair.

"If that's alright." Adam said, still not used to letting anyone do anything for him.   
It was obvious to Ronan, of course. But he knew better than to point it out.

"It's nothing. I'm headed there anyways. Church, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

As both boys got in Ronan's car, both seems to feel a bit flustered. Ronan, trying his best to calm his breathing and Adam trying his best to come up with ways to thank Ronan.

But both seems to have come up with the same solution, to not say a word throughout the whole ride.

As they got there, Ronan saw Adam struggling to balance the books on his hands.

"Here. Give it." Ronan said as he took the whole lot from Adam's shaky arms.

"Uhm thanks. But I can just..."  
Ronan gave Adam a single glance and Adam knew better than to argue.

Adam then lead the way up to his room. All throughout dreading the moment that Ronan sees his room.   
When he opened up his room, he expected a snide comment, a laugh, a snicker, anything. But Ronan just looked at him directly and asked "Where do I put these?"

Adam felt light just then. He felt whole and light which is confusing at first but he didn't dare question it.

"Right by the table is fine."  
"Ok. I'll leave you to it then." Ronan gently placed the books by the table and nodes goodnight at Adam.

Adam was glad that it was his day off tonight, because as he was reading the books about Ley lines all throughout the night, he couldn't keep a single thought in his head without feeling blissful. He tried his best but he couldn't seem to think straight, at all.   
So he left the books by his bed and called it a night.


	4. Depending on where you began the story, it's all about Ronan Lynch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise!!  
> double update bec i could help it  
> i hope you guys have fun and stick around for the last chapter coming soon

"Using Mathew as bait? And here I thought you couldn't be more of a dick." Ronan said as he stepped out of St Agnes. He'd been holding it in since he saw his little brother with his other brother sitting inside.

"If you'd just pick up your phone for once in your life it wouldn't have gone to this." Declan Lynch said. Clearly unfazed by Ronan's crude attitude and threatening gaze.

"If you'd stop being an asshole for once in your life it wouldn't have gone to this." Ronan fired back. Not holding back his tongue anymore. 

"Declan! I'm going over to the Jacobsen's house for a while." Mathew called as he ran towards his brothers.

"Alright. Just call me if you need me to pick you up." Declan said.

"Hey." Ronan called Mathew out before he could ran off. "We still on for ice cream tomorrow?"

Mathew did an exaggerated face of him thinking about it. "Sure. But you have to listen to what Declan has to say."   
Ronan groaned. "Seriously... Fine! But he's not invited tomorrow." Ronan said, pointing a finger towards Declan's face.

Mathew nodded and then smiled and ran off to his friends.

"You are teaching him to blackmail me and I don't appreciate it. Specially considering how good he is at it."

"I just wanted to talk Ronan. For once I'm actually here to say something nice." Declan said. Standing his ground.

"If the school called again you can tell them to shove it up their a-"

"That's the thing. They didn't."

"They didn't what?"

"They didn't call. Apparently, you're currently not failing for once." Declan said. Trying to fight the smile on his face.

"Don't look so smug. You had nothing to do with that." Ronan said. Unbuttoning the top of his shirt.

"I wanna talk to you about something else. Something about mom and dad." Declan said softly.

"Oh wow. Really? I thought we wrapped this up already on your monthly "I hate the world, specially my parents" monologue last week." Ronan said as he sat on top of Declan's car.

"I'm being serious Ronan." This made Ronan scoff.   
"When are you not?" Ronan added as sarcastically as he can.

"I know about the dreams. And I wanted to tell you something about Matthew."  
Ronan froze.

\-----

Funnily enough, this isn't the first time he's heard those exact same words from someone he hated.

The first one was a bit more different though. With a bit more alcohol and a lot less clothes.

"I know about the dreams"  
Joseph Kavinsky said. They were both in the pool on one of Kavinky's infamous parties. Ronan didn't want to even go, but he wasn't gonna pass up free booze. Specially Kavinsky's.

"I don't know what the fuck you're on right now, but you're talking shit." Ronan said.

"Nice try. But seriously. I know about the dreams. I'm the same. We're the same." Kavinsky said as he moved closer.

"I am nothing like you." Ronan said.  
"That's where you're wrong. We're more alike than you think. I can even teach you." Kavinsky said. Ignoring Ronan's attempt to shooting him down.

"Teach me what? How to throw a trashy party."

"You're good at this. But don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." Kavinsky said as he patted Ronan's cheek.

The rest of the party was a blur of unlabeled alcohol in red cups and bumping bodies in flashing lights.

\-----

Ronan shivered at the memory. He was now standing in front of Adam's door right above St. Agnes.

He got rid of his suit earlier in his car and was now only in his unbuttoned shirt and an uncomfortable pair of pants.

It took him five minutes before he could knock and another five minutes to let himself in when Adam wasn't responding.

Ronan was greeted by Adam's sleeping form with his head on his table on top of scattered papers as opened books. He was wearing a worn out shirt and pajama pants that's riding down a bit lower than Ronan could handle. His hair disheveled and and sort of glowing from the sun coming through the window.

Ronan didn't know if he should head out or not. If he was allowed, no, if he was worth it to see this. To see Adam so vulnerable and at peace, which is very unusual compared to the tense, worked up Adam that Ronan had been seeing for the past year now.

"Uhm. Parrish?"  
Still nothing. Ronan tried to take a step closer but the floorboards creaked loudly, betraying Ronan's attempt to approach quietly.

But Adam didn't move.

"Adam?"   
Ronan was behind his chair now. He tested the waters and tried poking Adam's back. But Adam was in deep sleep.

"For fuck's sake..."   
Ronan then stepped around beside Adam and crouched to level his face with him.   
Ronan knew it was wrong, and somewhat creepy, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but take advantage of the moment and just shamelessly stare at Adam's calm face.   
Ronan knew he was smiling an he hated it.

He hated the fact that he can't help it.

He cant help himself from feeling this way towards Adam even though he knew pretty well how Adam felt towards him "and his like".

"What are you staring at Lynch."  
Adam mumbled. He still had his eyes closed and Ronan was pretty sure he hadn't moved yet. The sudden comment shocked Ronan into falling on his ass.

"Fucking hell. Parrish you asshole."  
Ronan said as he tried to hide how flustered he was.   
"Says the jerk who broke into my room." Adam said, stretching his arms up. Ronan wasn't aware of how he was staring at Adam's torso as his shirt rose up but the same couldn't be said to Adam.

"Har har. I was just gonna ask about the thing with the psychics house. Are we really gonna interview some self proclaimed psychics?" Ronan stood up and didn't bother dusting off his pants. "Wouldn't have thought you'd be the superstitious type." Ronan said.

"Oh really? What type did you think I was, Lynch?" Adam then rummaged through a small drawer for decent clothes he could wear for the day, not sensing how tense Ronan was behind him.   
"And remember how Blue said that Professor Czerny himself went there when he was doing his own research for Ley Lines."   
Adam took his shirt off and picked up a Coca Cola shirt and put in on.   
"Plus. We're already almost done with the report. Just think of this as humoring me." Adam turned around and saw Ronan scratching the back of his head and looking anywhere but him.   
"What's wrong? Are you ok? You look a bit red."

"What? I'm fine Parrish. Let's just get this over with."

"Uhm. He have to go there at 6 pm. And it's just 9:15 am. Do you plan on just sitting by their doorsteps for nine hours?"

"Yes."

"Also you're a bit over dressed, don't you think?"

"If you want me to take my clothes off, Parrish. You could just ask."

"If I wanted to take your clothes off, I'd take them off my self."   
Ronan wasn't prepared for that and looked unusually uncomfortable. Both the smug confidence and venomous glare were nowhere to be seen and instead he looked calmer. He looked a bit more human.

Adam then dragged him out of the door. "Go change into something casual. Something that won't get you mugged but also won't give off the impression that you kill people for sport."

"Thanks. I think you've narrowed my choices down to looking like an idiot or to looking like a sad idiot."

Adam then closed the door. "Come back in an hour I have something in mind that we could do till 6pm."

Adam then trudged back to his drawer and looked for decent pants. In aware of how he was grinning at nothing. Unlike Ronan who was well aware of why he couldn't help but smile to himself as he headed back to his dorm to try and look as appropriate as he can.

\----

"I swear to god Parrish if you are just using me to relieve your hard on for Czerny or that midget I will personally see to it that you go to hell."

"Would you shut up and just drive we're almost there."  
Ronan made a distasteful noise.   
"And try to behave." Adam stated.   
Ronan then stared blankly at Adam and said "woof" which amused Adam.

Ronan had to admit to himself that he's trying really hard not to show that he's having fun. Adam's idea of an afternoon hangout turned out to be ghastly as hell for Ronan but he still can't help but have a good time with Adam.

Adam had taken them to an abandoned church which he said was coincidentally on an interaction of two Ley lines.  
Adam insisted on visiting since he said their report needed more solid output. Ronan insisted that they were visiting because Adam was a nerd. Adam knew better than to argue.

Ronan was glad the church wasn't exactly in the middle of nowhere. But when he parked in front of a church with broken down stained glass windows and covered with vines, he was a bit unsure to go in.

"Oh, don't give me that look. It's stable." Adam said as he went around the side and went in through a hole. "I think." Adam added.   
"If I die in there, I'll haunt you every single night." Ronan said as he ducked down from some vines dangling in the entrance.

Adam asked Ronan to take photos in his phone for their report as he was examining the walls. Ronan declined. In the most creative string of curse words he could muster up in the spot.

"You're vocabulary is outstandingly vast for a heathen."  
"I try my best to exceed expectations."  
"Of course. Come on. Just give it. I'll take the pictures."  
Ronan took his phone from his back pocket and handed it over to Adam with a disgruntled groan. Adam suggested he look around the place too.   
"I don't give a fuck about this place. Just take your damn photos and let's get going. I'm starving." Ronan answered.

Adam rolled his eyes and went on roaming around the church as Ronan stared grudgingly from a corner.

Ronan hated it.   
Not the church, exactly, but more of what the church is doing.

Light seeps through the broken parts of the ceiling of the church and the broken rose window. The overgrowth that swallowed the structure with vines looked otherworldly under its light.   
But Ronan wasn't looking at anything else other than the only other living thing he's with.

Adam wasn't trying to hold in how fascinated he was with the abandoned church. He would walk close to the walls and would run his hand on the walls, on the vines and shrubs on the walls, as he walks and would take exactly three steps away from the wall before taking a photo. He was so entranced with what he's seeing that he didn't notice Ronan shamelessly staring at him. Like a moth to flame, Ronan's eyes were helplessly following Adam.   
When Adam reached the altar he was under the bright light coming from the broken rose window. There were still bits of blue and red stained glass in tact since there were still bright shades in the light that hits Adam and Ronan absolutely hates it. He hates how, no matter the effort, he could not hate it one bit.

"Hey! We just passed the house, what the hell Lynch!"  
Ronan was pulled back to the present as Adam hit his arm accompanied by really loud shouting.

"Dammit Parrish! Just pretend that you didn't see the damn house and we can still ditch."  
Ronan covered for his lack of attention.

"Just humor me, come on. We already have everything we need for the report. Let's just go there because Blue invited us."  
Adam said. And Ronan just couldn't say no.

But as Ronan turned the car around, they saw from afar how Noah was running to his car carrying a kid. Blue followed suit and took a seat at the back and took the kid from Noah. Noah then ran to the driver seat and sped off.

Before Ronan could even have the chance to ask Adam if they should meet with the psychics or follow suit?  
Adam had already grabbed his arm and instructed him to follow.

Ronan tried his best to catch up but after a few minutes he could barely see any signs of where the car headed. And when they ended up in a dirt road with little to no light, Ronan admitted defeat. He also seemed to haven't noticed how dark it got really quick.

"Let's just head home." Adam said, defeatedly.   
"Your place or mine?" Ronan asked with a smirk on his face. He wasn't sure if he was teasing or testing the waters. "The night is still young, Parrish."  
"I know, I know. Let's just hang in my place. Or yours, if you want." Adam said.

"Yeah. Ok."Ronan said as he was backing up the car. But suddenly a car emerged from his rear view mirror and had to holy to a stop.   
"Fucking hell.." Ronan then went out of the car ready to talk some sense into someone who would drive without headlights on. But he was gonna do it with less of the talking.

"What the fuck is your problem?"  
Ronan asked as he banged the hood of the old pick up truck in front of him.

When the guy got out, Ronan saw that they both had the same idea on how this conversation is going to go. But the guy stopped dead in his tracks and stared right over Ronan's shoulder. Ronan followed his gaze and saw a petrified looking Adam by his car. Both his hands were on the car as if trying to pull himself up, or push himself off if a running head start was needed.

"What are you doing here." Adam asked.

At first Ronan thought he was asking him but the guy answered Adam back.

"I'm on my way home, from work. Which is none of your business." The guy answered, or more like growled, back. Ronan smelled the familiar stench of beer from the mans breath and had to take a step back

"Hey, dickface. Talk to him like that again and I'll shove those beer bottles up your ass" Ronan threatened.

"Just get out of my sight." The guy then went back to the driver seat's door and looked back towards Adam. "And if you wanted to be a fag, the least you could do was pick damn decent one. Thank god you left."

Ronan was about to head straight towards the guy when he felt a hand on his arm and heard "It's not worth it" from behind him.

The truck then backed up and swerved a bit when passing by Ronan. But this time the driver knew better than to leave his lights off.

"Who the fuck was that?" Ronan demanded. But Adam was already walking back towards the car.

"Hey!" Ronan stomped back towards the driver's seat and decided to take a deep breath. Because he'll be damned if he lost his cool on Adam again.

"Who was that?" Ronan tried to ask as calmly as he can. Adam was looking out the window, his elbow placed on the window as he was aggressively pressing his thumb over his mouth. Ronan already saw how Adam's eyes glinted enough to know that this was a touchy subject. Ronan tried his best to calm down when Adam stuttered out that Ronan had just met Adam's father.

\-----

Ronan trudged behind Adam as Adam walked upstairs to his room. Both were tired from their day. Ronan considered just dropping Adam off then going back to his dorm but he wasn't going to pass the opportunity to spend more time with Adam.

As Adam got in, he toed off his shoes and fell face front onto his bed, groaning.

As Ronan took a seat on the open window sill Adam said something that was muffled through his pillow.

"You know I can't understand you, right?" Ronan pointed out.

Adam then turned his face towards the door, away from Ronan, and took a deep breath.   
"You can stay if you want. I know you hate it there in your palace these days." Adam said. And it's a good thing he wasn't looking at Ronan because Ronan wasn't sure how Adam would react to him flinching by that offer.

"If you want me to stay so bad, Parrish, all you had to do is ask." Ronan teased.

But Ronan was a bit taken back when Adam suddenly stood up and walked towards the door. "I want you to stay. Please."

The ways he said it had sent Ronan's heart in a frenzy. Ronan hated how vulnerable Adam looked. How fragile he sounds and looked as he pressed his head on the door.

"Ok. I'll stay." Ronan stood up from the window sill and sat on the edge of Adam's bed. "I guess your daddy issues out ranked mine, huh?" Ronan joked.   
He heard Adam breathe out a chuckle and then sniffed.   
"Yeah. Looks like I'm just as fucked up as you are." Adam said. Not moving an inch from the door.

"That's just degrading. You'll never be as fucked up as I am. Not even if you tried." Ronan said. He laid down the bed and put his arms behind his head.

"You're not as bad as you think you are, you know? I mean, you're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

Ronan was staring at the ceiling but he could see Adam frantically rubbing his face. As if trying to erase any trace of crying in his face.

Ronan stood up and walked towards Adam. Adam's back was still turned towards him so he wasn't surprised to see Adam flinch as he felt Ronan standing behind him.   
"You ok?" Ronan asked. His fingers slightly tugging the bottom of Adam's shirt.   
"Yeah. I mean, no. But I think I will be."

They stood like that for a while. Adam cradling his face in his hands as Ronan stood behind him. "Come on, Parrish. I think you should lie down. Or at least sit down."

Adam's sniffling has stopped now but he was still hiding his face in his hands. Ronan tugged his shirt a few more times before Adam finally dropped his hands and turned around.

Adam looked like a mess. They both knew that. But Adam couldn't have known how Ronan couldn't have cared less about how he looked.

"Can we sit now? My legs are about to give up." Ronan said.   
Adam then wobbled towards the bed following Ronan's lead.

"He used to hit me. A lot."  
Ronan was shocked at Adam's sudden revelation. It's a good thing they were already seated because he wouldn't know how he would've taken that standing up.

Ronan lied down as Adam sat besides him, facing him.

"And one day he went home and dinner wasn't ready yet, and I just got home from work too, and he was fuming. I've always been scared of him hitting me but that was the first time I was scared out of my wits. The first time I was scared he'd kill me"

Ronan didn't want to imagine it but the picture was now burning itself onto his mind. He tried to focus on the Adam now to forget about the Adam then. And it worked.

"You don't have to tell me anything, Parrish. Your dad was a dick and you got away before he did anything worse. That's that."

"I don't usually tell this to people, y'know. I know that if they found out they'd all look at me with pity and I don't like it."

Ronan looked over at Adam. "Then why are you telling this to me now?"

"Oh please." Adam sighed. "As if you are capable of any sort of emotion towards others."

Ronan heard a glint of joking in Adam's response and went along with it.

"I used to have emotions, you know. I guess you've already heard of what happened. I just woke up one day and saw my dad's car outside. He travels a lot. And I came running down like a kid and saw him in a pool of his own blood with half his head open."

"That's... I'm-I'm sorry you had to go through that." Adam said.

"Me too. " Ronan was now tugging at the leather bands around his wrists. "A lot of shit happened and I shaved my head and got my whole back tattooed."

"Of course. That seems like the reasonable way to handle grief and possible trauma." Adam joked again. Ronan was grateful for Adam lightening the mood. So he helped by carrying out the conversation with a mic of sarcasm and crude humor.

They had spent the entire night talking about nothing and, at the same time, they had talked about everything.

Ronan eventually ended up lying on the floor, which Adam repeatedly objected to, as Adam fell asleep calmly on his bed. 

 

It was around noon when both boys were disturbed by a phone ringing somewhere in the room.

"Lynch pick up your goddamn phone or shut it off!" Adam said as covered his ears with his worn out pillow.

When Ronan got his phone from his back pocket, ready to shut it off, he read the name on the screen and suddenly jolted up.

"Shit shit shit shit." Adam took the pillow off his face to see Ronan clambering around trying to collect his things.   
"What are you doing?"  
Ronan looked up from putting his shoes on. "I'm supposed to meet my brother an hour ago. Fuck."

"I thought you hated him?" Adam asked, sitting up on his mattress.

"What? No. That's the asshole brother. This is Matthew." Ronan noticed Adam noticing the shift in his attitude. Seeing how he was so fond of Matthew. "Him I can tolerate."

Adam couldn't help the smile that creeps into his face at the thought of Ronan actually caring for someone.

"So uh, I'm gonna leave. "  
"Oh, right." Adam then stood up an walked Ronan downstairs. Realizing that he was only wearing an oversized sweatpants and a thinned, worn out t-shirt, Adam stayed inside as Ronan headed out.   
But before Ronan could even get to his car, Adam called him back. Saying he forgot to tell him something.

"What is it? Come on, spit it out. I'm running late here."

Adam looked anywhere but Ronan's eyes. He seemed out of his wits, as if contemplating whether to do something stupid, or to do something really stupid. Ronan had enough personal experience on that matter to know that look. But no past experience could've prepared Ronan for what happens next.

Adam then pulled Ronan by the collar of his shirt and kissed him. If anyone asked Ronan what it's like to kiss Adam, he'd probably answer you by asking you what it felt like to jump out of a moving vehicle. He'd tell you it felt like lighting struck the ground before him. Not quite distant but dangerously close. He could also describe it as the feeling he had when he first slept inside St. Agnes alone in the dark as heavy rains poured down like continuous gunshots overhead.   
He felt tension, and fear, and excitement, and want. He felt so much for someone who did his best to not feel at all.

When Adam pulled away and slam the door on Ronan's face, Ronan was too stunned to do anything but stand there, shell shocked, for at least a few minutes until his phone rang again.

\-----

"Where have you been? I've already had, like, two shakes. And I think all the pizza I ate could make up for a whole pizza." Matthew said as Ronan took a seat in their booth. Nino's was uncharacteristically having a slow day right now. Or maybe there just weren't that much people who appreciates fat and greasy food before noon.

"I thought Declan didn't want you eating too much of this... 'over saturated garbage'?"

"Yeah. It's a good thing he won't know, though. Right?" Matthew said as he cheekily took another bite of the cheese pizza in front of him.

"Know about what?" Ronan asked as he took a bite of his own pizza. And Matthew laughed. Just like the way he always did. And Ronan pretended that it wasn't the most precious thing he'd ever heard.

This. This is what Ronan's heaven would probably look like. Listening to his little brother talk about anything and everything. Both of them stuffing their faces with greasy food and washing it down with drinks that are half sugar and half artificial flavor. Both of them just laughing along without a single care for the world outside.   
But now he needed something else to complete his heaven.

"You're so chill right now, y'know. I like it."

"I'm always chill. I don't know what you're talking about." Ronan dead panned. Trying his best to hide his smile. 

"You like to pretend that you're chill, actually. And that makes you more agitated because you really aren't chill."

"You sound like a shrink right now." Ronan said distastefully. Or at least tried to. But Matthew could see how content Ronan was right now. How he looked so gentle and calm. How he looked like the old Ronan.

"Of course. I don't need to be a shrink to know you like someone, you know."  
Mathew gave his world famous grin as Ronan tried to compose himself.

"You don't know nothing." Ronan said. Looking anywhere but at his brothers eyes.

"Let's see the facts here."  
Matthew laid out a napkin and threw his fries on his now empty plate.

"First of all," Matthew placed a single fry on the napkin, " you haven't been scowling for a week now."

Ronan scowled at that.

"Second," another fry was connected to the first one, " you are doing.. Uhm. Not bad, at school."

"Third," another fry, " you and Declan haven't argued for three days. Which is three days more than the usual."

"You keep track of our fights?"  
Ronan asked, slightly disturbed

"It's what a mediator do. Shut up I'm not finished."

"I should be proud of that attitude but never sass me again."

"Fine." Matthew said defeatedly.   
"Ok, as I was saying.   
The fourth one, I think, is that you just look so content right now."

"Finish this already before I kill myself to get out of this conversation." Ronan said. Trying to look like he's actually a uncomfortable. Which he isn't.

"Fine. The fifth and six," Matthew then put two last fry to close a greasy, irregularly shaped heart on top of the now soggy napkin, "you haven't been sleeping in your dorm for a while and you're late."

"What does my punctuality have to do with any if this?"

"When I called you the first time you kinda accidentally answered it. Well, at least I think you answered it accidentally. Or was that you just hinting me?" Matthew was now picking at the rest of his fries with a smug look as he witnessed Ronan blush for the first time.

"So? I slept over my classmate's room for a project. That doesn't mean anything." Matthew was now grinning at Ronan. Matthew wiggled his eyebrows to fish for more reactions from Ronan.

"You're evil. And that's coming from me." Ronan said.

"And coming from you, that's actually a compliment."

"If Declan talks to me about this, consider yourself Declan's only brother because I'll disown you both."

"Come on. I'm not going to tell! Honest! Just tell me his name. Does he go to Aglionby? He does, doesn't he. Wait," Matthew's cheery attitude suddenly went gloom, "please tell me it's not Joseph."

Ronan would've laughed if anyone else assumed that he would actually like Kavinsky that way. But Matthew is asking out of concern. He was asking out of worry and not out of disgust.

"Fuck no. I'd rather date a cow."

Matthew let out a relieved sigh an Ronan chuckled at that.

"Yes." Ronan said. "He goes to Aglionby. And I think you'll like him. He hates K as much as you do." Matthew gave out a soft laugh at that.

"Can I meet him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Oh come on! I'll behave. Honest!"

"It's not you. It's just... We're not really... A thing.. Yet."

"'Yet'?" Mathew urged.

"Can we change topic now. How's school."

"I can't believe you would actually want to talk about school just to avoid this." Matthew laughed. His attention was suddenly averted to Ronan's car outside. He saw someone looking at the car and looking straight at the diner.

"Uhm. Quick question. Does he have wild, kind of curly brown hair? And does he own a pair of greased up overalls?"  
Ronan was baffled by the accuracy of his brother's question and saw how Matthew's eyes weren't directed at him. He followed his gaze and saw Adam, wild haired and greased up just like Matthew had described, running towards the diner.

"What the-"

Adam burst through the door, scanned the diner and quickly went towards the brothers' table.

"I am not gonna ask why you haven't answered at least one of the hundred voicemails I've left on your phone or why you didn't even bother to actually look at your phone, but you're coming with me. Right now."  
Adam grabbed Ronan's arm and hauled him up.

"What are you do-"

"I'll explain on the way. Right now we need to hurry."

"I can't just leave my brother in the diner like tha-"

"Fine!" Adam let go of Ronan when they were right in front of the door and headed back towards the table. Ronan saw Adam and Matthew exchange a few words and then both of them were on their feet again and headed towards Ronan.

As Adam walked past Ronan he grabbed hold of his arm again and half dragged him towards his own car.

"I like him." Matthew said from behind Ronan.

"What the fuck is going on?" Ronan asked out loud.

"We're going to Professor Czerny's house."

"What?!" Ronan stopped dead in his tracks and pulled his arm away from Adam. " I am not moving an inch until someone gives me a fucking explanation right now." Ronan demanded.

"Blue called me using his phone. Using Professor Czerny's phone. She said he's dying and only you can help him."

Ronan couldn't process the information fast enough because the next thing he knew was Adam opening the driver's seat for him as Adam and Matthew stood on the other side of his car.

"How can I possibly help a dying man. Tell them to go to the fucking hospital, man. And how does he even have your phone number?"

Adam grabbed something from the front pocket of his overalls and threw it to Ronan over the car.   
Ronan would've caught it but before it his his face it stopped midair and Ronan was surprised to see a daffodil glowing bright right in front if his eyes.

"Yesterday, or early this morning. I'm not sure. I woke up and saw something glowing in your hand." Adam pointed a finger to the daffodil and gave Ronan a knowing look. " That was in it. I wasn't sure how you got it, at first. Or what it is. But I don't care because that's how you're gonna save him."

"How could this possibly help him out when he's dying right no-"

"It's his dreams." Matthew interjected.

Both Adam and Ronan stared at Matthew. Adam with curiosity and Ronan with a bit of anxiety.

"It's ok. I know."

"How'd you...?"

"I've lived with you my entire life. I'd be stupid not to notice."

Ronan stood there. Still baffled by this. He doesn't know whether to be miserably that the two most important people in his life knew his secret or to be happy that they obviously couldn't care less.

"Come on. We need to hurry." Adam insisted. All three of them got in the car and buckled up. Adam gave Ronan the address and Ronan drove like hell itself was after him.

"Since when?"  
Ronan's eyes didn't leave the road ahead of him but his question was directed at his brother. And Matthew knew that.

"You're my older brother. You were already amazing to me. The way you took care of the animals an the way you took care of me. You being able to make things appear just made you more like the prince in dad's stories."  
Ronan always thought their dad was the prince in the stories. Declan thought the same. Ronan never knew Matthew thought differently.

"That doesn't answer my question."  
Ronan seethed. 

"I don't know, really. I guess I've always known? In a way?"

Silence flooded the inside of the car as it roared on the road. Adam knew he wasn't supposed to hear this. He wasn't supposed to see this. He wasn't supposed to be an audience in this. But he didn't have a choice.

"He was like you, wasn't he? Dad, I mean." Matthew asked quietly.

"No." Ronan answered. He thought back to everything his father had ever done for them. How he cared and loved and lived selflessly.  
He thought about the stories of a man who dreamed of a better world for everyone but himself. The stories that Declan thought were rendered by vanity, Ronan thought were saturated with magic. Both thinking their dad was talking about himself.  
But only Matthew saw the truth in it then. How their dad used his stories to let Ronan know that he believed in him. That he knew Ronan would do anything to protect the ones he loved no matter what it costs him.

"I don't think I can ever be as great as he was."

 

\----  
Sorry this was hella rushed and I didn't even read so there's probably gonna lot of grammar errors so I'll edit it soon. Thanks for anyone reading this I really appreciate it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!  
> the last chapter is on the way and i was wondering if you guys have any suggestions or opinions on how the story would end  
> comment them below and i'll make sure to look them up before fnalizing the chapter  
> thank you for reading!   
> -D


End file.
